Chapter 40
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 040
Chapter Title: The Coward and the Bramble Knight (1)
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‘Birch Baron?’
Bear and the able-bodied men pressed forward with me as I mulled it over.
It was a name I’d heard somewhere before.
And soon enough, I recalled the cult leader mentioning it.
‘He asked if I’d let the Birch Baron slip away.’
Eremus’s plan had been to wipe out the eastern ruling class, but they’d lost the Birch Baron in the process.
The cult leader had pointed that out to me while I was posing as one of Eremus’s black mages.
As I racked my brain like that...
I arrived in front of the Birch Baron.
‘Where are the bandits?’
We’d rushed here expecting a bandit attack, but there was no one chasing after the Birch Baron.
So I glanced in the direction he’d come from.
Far off in the distance, I spotted a single carriage.
Soldiers were guarding it like it was under siege, and it looked like someone important was inside.
‘Did he really run off alone?’
As I suspected as much...
The Birch Baron addressed me.
“Who might you be?”
“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Heros.”
“To be serving in the militia at such a young age. Impressive. So, Heros, who leads this band? Fetch him for me. I’d like a word.”
“That would be me.”
“What?”
The Birch Baron tilted his head.
Then he lifted his visor.
A plump-faced young man appeared.
His gentle eyes matched his build.
I met his gaze squarely and continued.
“I’m a bit inexperienced, but as a mage, I’m leading this group. So if you have any orders, please direct them to me.”
“A mage! Perfect timing!”
Learning I was a mage, the Birch Baron...
Exclaimed in delight before looking down at me and revealing why he’d sought someone like me.
“Heros. Use your magic to save my wife. I’ll pay any amount.”
“Is the person in the carriage...”
“Yes, my wife.”
No way—he’d abandoned his wife and fled?
This was a bit...
As I thought that, the Birch Baron spoke up with utter confidence.
“I can guess what you’re thinking. But it’s a misunderstanding. The bandits are after me. So I drew them off alone. That way, they’d target me instead of my wife.”
There was a high chance that was a lie.
If he’d truly meant to save his wife, he would’ve run in the opposite direction from the carriage.
But calling him out on it here would be amateurish.
To make a good first impression, flattery was essential.
“To risk your life luring away the bandits to save your wife! I’m in awe of your courage, my lord. You must be exhausted from riding. Please rest here a moment. I’ll take care of the bandits cleanly.”
“Such confidence. I’ll trust you.”
After hearing his reply...
I headed toward the carriage.
It was quite a distance, so it would take some time to get there.
Not ideal.
If the bandits overwhelmed the soldiers before we arrived, it could turn into a disaster.
So I had to make a choice.
“Sir Bear, go on ahead and rescue the baroness.”
“Yes, sir.”
I gave the order to Bear.
He responded briskly and shot forward.
Incredibly fast.
His physical prowess never ceased to amaze me.
‘With Bear there, it should be fine.’
What could mere bandits do against a knight like Bear?
That’s what I thought, and that’s how it played out.
Just as we reached the carriage, he was already crushing the bandits single-handedly.
Slash!
Each swing of Bear’s sword sent a bandit’s head spinning through the air.
An impressive sight.
‘Maybe I should flex a little too?’
I’d told the Birch Baron I was a mage, so I needed to prove it.
This was a perfect chance to make a strong impression.
Magic was the surest way.
To convince the baron I was exceptional, something flashy and powerful would do the trick.
The answer was obvious.
Fwoosh.
I cast Transferring Flames.
A fireball appeared before my eyes.
It shot toward a distant bandit.
“Fire! It’s fire!”
One bandit spotted the fireball and shouted.
But my target didn’t, allowing it to strike him.
And then...
Whoosh!
The man’s upper body was engulfed in flames in an instant.
“Aaaagh!”
The man screamed, wreathed in fire.
His cries were so chilling that everyone on the battlefield turned to look.
“Uwaaaagh...!”
He collapsed, rolling desperately on the ground.
But the magical flames wouldn’t go out easily, maintaining their heat as they consumed him.
An unavoidable spectacle.
The onlookers watched in stunned silence, bringing the battle to a temporary halt.
In that moment, they didn’t notice.
The tiny embers spreading outward.
Fwoosh!
Suddenly, the heads of the bandits around him burst into flame simultaneously.
Seven of them.
One spell had taken eight bandits out of the fight.
“It’s a mage! There’s a mage!”
“Where’d he come from?”
“Run!”
Their comrades igniting out of nowhere...
The bandits panicked and fled in terror.
But I had no intention of letting them go.
I needed to tie up loose ends to sleep soundly.
‘Can’t let them just escape.’
I cast Transferring Flames once more.
Soon, five more bandits collapsed, wreathed in flames.
Only four left.
“Aaaack!”
The remaining four scattered with shrieks.
Transferring Flames wouldn’t work well now.
Hitting one wouldn’t spread the fire without nearby targets.
A limitation of the spell.
‘What now?’
I couldn’t waste mana on a single bandit.
So no more Transferring Flames.
But that was fine.
I had plenty of other spells.
‘Time for Lightning Bolt.’
I’d learned Transferring Flames and Stone Thorns, but Lightning Bolt remained my go-to.
Simple and powerful—why not use it?
Crackle!
Right after casting, a bolt shot from before me toward a bandit.
He convulsed and collapsed limply.
Done.
An anticlimactic end.
Zzzap!
Three more bolts followed, striking their targets without fail.
Battle over.
No survivors among the bandits.
“Sir Heros. There seems to be another group a bit farther off. What are your orders?”
As the fight ended, Bear approached me.
A few blood splatters on his face aside, he looked unchanged.
Still full of energy, so he could handle more.
“Want to take care of it, Sir Bear?”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
Bear finished replying and dashed off.
“Everyone, stay calm. We’re reinforcements. We came at Baron Birch’s request to help.”
After Bear left...
I addressed the soldiers eyeing us warily.
Then I looked around.
‘That’s a lot of bandits for a roadside ambush.’
Over thirty bandit corpses littered the ground around the carriage.
And they were well-equipped.
All in quilted armor, wielding iron weapons.
Not starving refugees turned bandits—these were career criminals.
‘They attacked because they outnumbered them.’
The baron’s group numbered around twenty.
Twelve soldiers among them.
The rest were servants.
Yet they were escorting four fully laden wagons.
And not with ordinary goods.
‘Oh...’
Were the bandits after that?
One wagon’s cover had come off.
A chest inside was wide open, filled with gold goblets and silver cutlery—luxury items.
In fifteen years in this world, it was my first time seeing such valuables.
A rare sight.
The Birch Baron had brought his entire fortune.
‘No wonder the bandits risked it.’
Just looking at the baron’s gear screamed wealth.
That’s why they’d targeted his wagons.
‘Good thing we got here in time.’
Finishing my scan, I headed to the carriage.
The baroness came first, bandits dealt with.
“Are you all right?”
I called inside from the front.
Up close, it was more covered wagon than proper carriage.
Best they could do on poor roads.
But it had the essentials.
A wooden emblem—likely the baron’s crest—on the side, and furs inside.
“Yes, thanks to you, mage.”
As I examined it...
A woman emerged from within.
She wore a red wool dress.
Her attire and refined bearing marked her as the baroness.
“I’m Heros. I hurried here at Baron Birch’s call for aid.”
“Is he safe?”
“Yes.”
At my answer, the baroness rose.
With help from her maid in the carriage, she stepped out.
The first to greet her: bandit corpses.
But she didn’t flinch.
Just scanned the area calmly.
Finally, having finished her survey, the baroness looked at me.
“Thank you, Heros. I won’t forget this debt.”
“Just doing what needed to be done.”
I bowed humbly.
Playing the modest mage.
Either way, the Birch couple would have to reward me properly.
It was a matter of noble face.
‘Wow, what a different vibe. Even among nobles, the gap is huge.’
The Birch Baron and now his wife.
They exuded an aura.
Like looking down on others was second nature?
A pressure I hadn’t felt from Baron Neville or his wife.
“Oh, Josephine!”
Then the Birch Baron called to his wife.
He’d arrived before us.
She shot him a sharp glare.
He flinched mid-approach, smile fading.
“Glad you’re safe.”
“You too! Oh, Josephine. You don’t know how worried I was.”
“If you were that worried, why not stay by my side?”
Josephine spoke softly.
Her words were anything but.
“Ahem!”
The Birch Baron cleared his throat, avoiding her gaze.
Spotting me beside her, he dismounted with obvious joy.
Striding over eagerly.
“Heros! You saved Josephine. Truly grateful. I expected great things from a mage, but you’re exceptional! Meeting you in our hour of need must be the Sky God’s grace.”
He clapped my shoulder, praising me.
Receiving praise and staying silent would be poor form.
Time to return it.
Ideally, in a way that helped him.
“This is all thanks to you, my lord.”
“Hm?”
The Birch Baron looked puzzled at my words.
I glanced at Josephine.
Confirming she was listening, I quickly continued.
“Didn’t you spot us first and ride desperately to reach us? And the moment you arrived, breathless, you cried out: ‘Save my wife! I’ll reward you with every wagon of goods if need be!’”
“Did I say that?”
“Yes, you did. Seeing that, I knew how much you love the baroness!”
“I see...!”
The Birch Baron had been listening with a vague expression.
Now he nodded vigorously.
Good—he’d caught on to why I said it.
This was to soothe Josephine’s mood.
‘Seems effective?’
Her expression had softened.
Excellent.
“Once more: truly grateful!”
Sensing her change, perhaps?
The Birch Baron beamed at me gratefully.
With the mood eased, it was time for cleanup.
No one enjoys deep talks amid corpses.
“My lord, the baroness must be quite shaken.”
I said it to pull him away from me.
He replied immediately.
“Hm? Oh, no need to worry. Josephine isn’t some fragile flower. Tougher than most men. She wouldn’t be rattled by this.”
No, man.
You can’t say that.
I side-eyed Josephine.
Her eyes were sharpening again!
Let this slide, and the good mood would sour.
To prevent disaster, I pressed on.
“You can’t be sure. Some hide it well. Why not comfort her yourself, my lord? Meanwhile, I’ll tidy up here. Oh, and I’ll make sure your soldiers can collect the spoils, of course.”
Offering to clean up.
Only then did the Birch Baron look around.
He grimaced at the piled bodies.
“I leave it to you.”
He replied, looking at me.
Handing his horse to a nearby soldier, he entered the carriage with Josephine.
After the baron left...
I asked the soldier he’d given his horse to.
“Who commands Baron Birch’s soldiers?”
“Sir Connell.”
The soldier answered with a stiff face.
He seemed tense.
“Where is he now?”
“When the bandits attacked, he stayed behind alone to buy time for the group to escape.”
“So the commander’s absent.”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll tell you. As I told the baron, we won’t touch the spoils. Gather your comrades and collect them.”
“Th-thank you!”
The soldier’s face lit up.
He handed the reins to the coachman and rushed to his fellows.
Soon, they were enthusiastically looting the bandits.
‘Thank me? I’m the one who should be thankful.’
With the Birch couple right here, was I insane enough to grab loot?
Greed for small gains could cost big.
Handing over the spoils bought goodwill from the couple and soldiers.
Smart move.
“Pair up in twos and clear the bodies. Not far—just toss them into the brush where they won’t be seen.”
After the baron’s soldiers had gathered most spoils...
I ordered the able-bodied men I’d brought.
I worried they might resist, but they obeyed without complaint.
Acting like they saw me as superior.
Satisfactory.
As the battlefield cleanup neared completion...
Bear returned from handling the remaining group.
But he wasn’t alone.
‘What? Did Bear duplicate?’
Beside Bear...
Stood a giant matching him in height and build.
Fierce features, bushy beard—just like Bear.
Even the short chainmail was identical!
‘Who’s this?’
As I eyed the stranger questioningly...
A soldier went to the carriage and reported.
“My lord, Sir Connell has returned!”